


Christopher's Elephant

by Rosie_Rues



Category: Diana Wynne Jones - Chronicles of Chrestomanci
Genre: Gen, Yuletide, challenge:Yuletide 2007, recipient:Tari
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-12-25
Updated: 2007-12-25
Packaged: 2017-10-13 17:42:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/139961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rosie_Rues/pseuds/Rosie_Rues





	Christopher's Elephant

Millie made it to breakfast that morning just in time to stop Henrietta from falling out of the window. Once she and Elizabeth had dragged the younger girl back in by her wide sash, she took a breath and glared.

"It wasn't my fault!" Henrietta protested, brown eyes wide and pleading. "I slipped!"

"If you will lean so far out of a window, you should expect to slip," Millie said, exchanging a quick glance with Elizabeth. Henrietta already was shuffling back towards the window.

Elizabeth hummed slightly, and Millie reached out with her magic and tugged. Henrietta went skidding back to the breakfast table, her sash now fastening her to the chair.

"But I want to see the elephant!" she protested.

"The _what?_ " Elizabeth said as Millie bit back a groan.

A loud trumpeting sounded from outside. Millie hurried to the window, and leant out, a little less precariously than Henrietta had. Sure enough, an elephant was trampling the lawn, trunk raised and ears flapping in panic. A trail of mangled turf showed its progress, and as she watched more earth went flying up. Frantic gardeners were circling with rakes and hoes. She wasn't sure if they were trying to herd the creature or harpoon it, but some of them seemed to be crying.

Behind her, the breakfast room door slammed open, and Christopher swooped in, trailing the gaudy red and gold dressing gown his mother had sent him from Japan. Jason and Henrietta had done their best to destroy that thing all year, but after every attack with spell or scissors, the ridiculous thing had reappeared, with increasingly ornate spells holding it together.

After him, Conrad and Jason came bundling through the door. Conrad looked sheepish, and Jason was obviously fuming.

Yes, it was undoubtedly Christopher's elephant.

Henrietta bounced in her seat, chair legs clattering against the floor. "Christopher! Where did you get an elephant?"

Christopher draped himself into the chair opposite and shot her a vague, affronted look. "There is no elephant. Pass the marmalade, if you will."

A louder, more panicked trumpet made the windows shake.

Millie seized Conrad by the elbow and hissed, "Why _is_ there an elephant on the lawn?"

Conrad shuffled, not meeting her eyes. "Er, it used to be a ferret."

"My ferret!" Jason exploded. "It's my blooming ferret, and I want her back to what she should be."

Christopher was studying his reflection in the butter knife. "Can any of us in this life claim we are as we should be?"

A crash from outside drowned out Jason's roar about animal cruelty. It was followed by a splintering sound and another trumpet.

"Gosh," Elizabeth said, still hanging out the window. "It just pulled down all the creepers round the library windows."

"Miss Rosalie's going to kill you!" Henrietta said gleefully. "And then when you come back Gabriel will make you write lines. More than one set, probably."

"That's right," muttered Jason. " _Enchanters must not permanently interfere with the course of nature._ Six hundred times."

Christopher wiped toast crumbs off his fingers before reaching for the marmalade. "There is nothing unnatural about an African elephant."

"There is - if it used to be a ferret!"

"Who can fathom the mysteries of life?" Christopher intoned.

Jason's eyes narrowed. "You're just saying that because you _can't_ change her back."

Christopher's glare lowered the temperature in the room by several degrees. Then, as if he was alone in the room, he opened the marmalade, grimacing a little at the stickiness of the pot.

Millie had had enough.

The marmalade lid slammed down again, and all the cutlery went scuttling down the table away from Christopher. His plate went arching into the air, toast sliding precariously.

He turned his glare on Millie.

She crossed her arms and glared right back. Christopher couldn't intimidate her. The silent clash of magics made the air sizzle until Henrietta's hair stood on end with the static.

At last Christopher said sulkily, "I was hungry. I've been up all night."

She sniffed, unimpressed. "I don't know how you can think of eating while that poor creature is suffering out there. Turn it back and I'll let you have breakfast."

He shot her another reproachful stare, but then swept out of the breakfast room, Jason stomping in his wake.

Millie sat down and helped herself to breakfast.

Ten minutes later the noise from outside stopped in mid-trumpet.

"Ooh," Henrietta said in disappointment.

"If you want an elephant," Millie said quellingly, "go to Africa."

"Excellent proposal," Christopher said from the doorway. "But not until after breakfast, I think."

Millie sighed and put extra sugar in her tea. It was going to be one of those days.

  
   


  



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